Dear doctor;

I have been off work for two weeks. I feel tired, nervy and cold all the time. Some days I feel fine, at other times I can be in a lot of pain with no energy. I have a family and I need two get back to work?

Dear Donatien,

The recovery time from shingles varies enormously. It is most frequently like flu – so you would expect two to three weeks of feeling unwell. However, some people go on to have a much slower recovery than that.The tiredness and general feelings of being unwell will most likely be gone within four weeks; and at most six weeks. It is possible for pain in the area to continue to be a problem for much longer.

It is worthwhile taking a course of the herb, Echinacea (ask at your local pharmacy) which seems to be able to shorten the course of an infection.